Like a partner? Or like a friend?
by misssophie23
Summary: It is totally AU ... As Halstead has to leave Molly's so quickly, Lindsay knew there was something wrong. So she is going to check on him. And as he let her in his apartment she found out the reason why they can't be more than partners. [Sorry for this horrible summary. It is my first Linstead Oneshot ever]
1. Like a partner? Or like a friend?

I am sorry, english isn't my first language, so there will be mistakes in here ^^" I hope you enjoy the one shot anyway :) It is totally AU ;)

Also it is my first Linstead one shot ^^ Tell me what you think and feel free to correct me or criticize me :)

Enjoy ... I don't own anything. It all belongs to nbc.

**Like a partner? Or like a friend?**

„Sorry guys, I … I have to leave. See you tomorrow.", said Jay after he pushed his phone back into his pocket and stood up.

„Is everything all right?", Antonio asked as his colleague stood up so quickly.

„Yeah, yeah everything is fine. There is something coming up. Have one for me." Jay smiling in the round, ignoring Erin's worried look, grapped his jacket and left the bar as fast as he could.

Erin watched him leave and bit her lips. Jay acted really weird the whole evening. He always was glancing at the watch or was checking his phone. Something was wrong. She could feel it.

„Hey guys" Erin looked to Antonio, Adam and Alvin „you didn't believe him, don't you? That everything is fine? I mean, he acted really weird today … always checking his phone."

The three guys exchanged a small smile before they shook their heads.

„I didn't believe him."

„Me neither.", Alvin said. „But I think it is none of our business, so ...", he took a sip out of his glass.

Antonio looked to Erin and laughed. „Don't be to worried about him. Or Voight will kick his ass off."

Erin rolled her eyes. She was getting sick of this whole Voight will put Halstead in his place if he would ever try to start something with her which was more than a partnership at work! Couldn't she be worried about her partner without to have more 'feelings'? The woman glanced to the detective to her left.

„Oh yeah, it is so funny … but honestly, don't you think-"

„- Lindsay, stop it! If there is something wrong and he wanted us to know, he will tell us, okay?" Olinsky interrupted her a little bit bugged and went to the bar for another round.

_To hell with them_, Erin thought and without saying goodbye she stood up. She got into her car and drove to Jays department. He was home, his car stood right in front of the house. Erin went upstairs. Her heart beating faster. She really hoped that Jay was fine. Now as she was walking down the corridor she knew that she had never been here before. Jay and her were partners since two month and she never was in his apartment before.

_Why did he has to leave so quickly?_ Something had to be wrong. Nervously she knocked at his door.

Jay had left the bar an hour ago. He had gotten a text message from home, so he had to left the guys at the bar so quickly. Now that she was laying in her bed and sleeping Jay sight in relief and took a beer out of the fridge. In the last few days he had to take care of her more than ever. It was really hard, but he had no choice.

Just as Jay sat down on the couch there was a knock on his door. He groaned, got up and opened the door. He was surprised to see Erin in front of him. She looked nervous. „Erin. Is everything all right?"

Erin nodded. „Yeah, yeah everything is fine. Uhm, can I come in?", she asked carefully and noticed that Jay wasn't sure if this would be a great idea.

Not because of Voight. He gave a damn on his warning. No, he wasn't sure about because of her. But … she was sleeping and Erin was just a partner, so, there was nothing he had to feel bad about. He cleared his throat and stepped aside to let Erin in. He led her to the living room.

„Do you want a beer or something?", he offered her but Erin shook her head.

„No thank you … I still have to drive.", she smiled. She sat down on the couch. Jay sat right next to her and examined her. Even if they knew each other for only two month, when Erin was worried about something Jay could tell. And now she had her worried face on.

„Sooo … how can I help you?" Jay asked slowly after a few seconds because Erin didn't seem to say anything. Instead she was playing with her fingers.

„Well … I was worried about you, because you left Molly's so quickly. Is everything okay? And please be honest." added she and bit her underlip again.

She looked into his blue eyes and tried to ignore her faster heart beat. But it wasn't that easy especially as Jay began to smile. She always loved that smile. It was cute and kind of funny and … yeah, damn hell, it was kind of sexy. The way he looked at her. The way his eyes always flicked between her lips and his eyes.

„Everything is fine. Really.", he lied to her. He couldn't tell her the truth. Not now … he didn't know how he should start. How he should start to explain this thing, his whole life to her. To explain why they can't be together. Not because of Voight, because he would feel guilty to her if he would start something with Erin. Even if he wanted to. God, he wanted to kiss her so badly.

The way she looked at him right now. So worried and lovely. He knew that she knew that he was lying to her. But he hoped that she would accept his decision. Jay licked his lips. He could feel the tense between them. His body was getting hotter with every second she mirrored his smile. The next time he spoke his voice was soft and husky.

„So", he started and looked right into her eyes, „you were worried about me, hm?" He couldn't help that his words tried to tease her.

Erin blushed. „Well … you are my partner." She smiled and couldn't take her eyes from his gaze.

„You were just worried about me like a partner?", Jay teased her and pushed carefully a strand of hair out of her face. He wanted to kiss her right now. More than ever. Her lips seemed to be so soft and sweet.

„Or were you worried about me like a friend?"

They both knew it was more than a friend. They both knew that Jay wanted to hear it from her. That he was more than a friend for her.

„More like a friend … maybe.", she smiled, approached herself to Jay without really noticing.

„Maybe, huh?", Jay repeated her and closed the space between him and her so their faces were just inches away. Erin looked from his ocean blue eyes to his lips. She could smell his aftershave. It made her knees weak and her heart beated faster. He would kiss her! She knew it. And she wanted it to. He should kiss her. He have to!The tension between them was getting unbearable high.

Her voice was only a whisper as she nodded „Yeah, maybe..."

Jay smiled from ear to ear. His heart beat so fast that he was afraid that it would break him his rips. He pulled one arm around Erins small waist, the other hand rested in her neck. Her perfume made him crazy. One last time he looked from her eyes to her lips and then he closed the space between them. His lips met hers. It was gently and carefully. Her lips were soft, softer than he ever thought.

It felt good. Really, really good. Especially as Erin put her hands in his neck and pulled him further towards herself. She smiled against his lips. Damn it! Her heart beat faster. She moaned softly into the kiss. But before she could make the kiss more passionately, what she wanted to do, there was the sound of an opening door.

Erin stopped.

Jays heart stood still.

„Daddy?"

Erin looked with wide eyes from the little blonde at the door frame to the man she just had kissed.

Halstead had a daughter?!


	2. Mister Hippo keeps me safe

So my dears,

like I said before, I will continue this one shot ^^ But I don't know how many chapter I will wrote for this. It depends on my ideas and my liking. But I will my best to keep writing on this and my other one shots. Also I will update "The truth will always come out" at least with one chapter! Thank you so much for all your nice comments and followings. They really motivate me 3 So, I hope you will like this chapter and the characters aren't completely OOC. Asides from the fact that the whole story is totally AU ^^"

See you around.

Love,

misssophie23

**Mister Hippo keeps me safe.**

Jay swallowed. He saw Erin's puzzled face. His heart were bumping against his chest. Now she knew. His stomach was twisted. For a short moment Jay closed his eyes, before he turned around and saw that she had cried. Her cheeks were flushed. The man got up and went to the little girl in the door frame.

"Hey sunshine." whispered Halstead in a soft voice and lifted his daughter up who pulling her small arms around his neck immediately. Her face was hot, just like the rest of her body. The fever had to went up. He hugged his daughter carefully and sighed soundless.

"I can't sleep. My belly hurts." The blonde told her father and stared to cry into his neck.

Jay caressed his daughter's head and licked his lips. He hadn't had a choice. The medication didn't seem to work and her body was way too hot.

Erin sat still on the couch, watching how Jay was trying to calm his daughter down. It seemed like he forgot about her completely. But she wasn't mad about it. She still had to deal with the fact that her partner was a dad. A lovely and carefully one. And even if she was still in shock and that his daughter seemed to be ill, she couldn't help but realize how heavily her heartbeat was as she saw him like that.

"Why it still hurts?" The little girl bawled and Jay wished that he could take the pain away from her. He hated it when his girl was crying. He hated it when she was sad and when he was so helpless like right now. Halstead pushed her tiny body closer against his chest and gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"I don't know sweetheart.", he mumbled against her hair and as the crying started to stop he looked at her, whipping the tears from her face. "What do you say if you are going to grab Mister Hippo and we are going for a ride?" He didn't tell her that he want to take her to the hospital. At least not now. Jay smiled at his daughter.

The girl wasn't sure about her father's offer but after a few seconds she mirrored his smile shortly.

"Great. But we need to change your clothes. Just go into your bedroom and help Mister Hippo, I will be right there." Jay let the girl down so she could run into her bedroom – she didn't notice Erin at all.

Jay sighed out loud and rubbed first his face, then his neck. He didn't forget about his coworker. She was still there and he knew it. But right now he didn't really has time to explain it to her. Halstead turned around and cleared his throat. He looked into her face which was half puzzled, half smiling. His heart was beating against his chest and his hand ran through his hair.

"I am sorry Lindsay but I have to go to the hospital to her. She's ill since a few days but the medicines didn't work. She has fever and she can't sleep and she is sweaty. I … I am really sorry. But right now I … I will explain it to you tomorrow, but right now I can't." He glanced through the room. He wished to pick up where they left off because he really liked her and he really enjoyed their kiss, but Erin wasn't important right now.

The brunette nodded. "Yeah, don't worry yourself. I am totally okay with it. Your daughter's health is the most important thing right now. Nothing else matters." Erin gave him a sympathetic smile. And Jay glanced back thankfully before he turned around to helping his daughter to changing her clothes.

And now Erin was alone. She breathed out heavily and her hand running through her hair. Halstead had a daughter. For real! But how … why he had never talked about her? Did Voight know? Did anyone know? Her glance flew on the beer bottle on the table. It has to be Jay's beer and now Erin needed a at least one slug. She grabbed the bottle and took a sip out of it. Her head was running. Her mind still didn't want to believe that Halstead was a father. That they both had kissed each other and that it felt really really good. And then the scales fell from her eyes. They couldn't be together because of Voight. They couldn't be together because of his daughter. She rubbed her forehead. _Why did it always have to be so complicated?_

She knew that she should leave. She knew that Halstead couldn't and wouldn't explain anything to her right now but somehow Erin couldn't leave. So she still sat on the couch as Jay came back with his daughter at his hands who hold a stuffed animal which looked like a rhino. For a second Jay stopped walking. He was surprised to see her in the exact same position where he had left her.

"I thought you left."

Before Erin could respond something the blond little girl asked, not letting her father's hand go: "Who are you?" The adults exchanged a short look, before Jay crouched down to his daughter. "This is Erin. She is my friend." He looked into his daughter's skeptical blue eyes before she frowned her eyebrows and asked him: "Like me and Mister Hippo?"

Jay laughed and Erin giggled as she heard her words. "Yeah. Like you and Mister Hippo." Then the little girl's face lighten up. At this moment Erin had reached them both, crouched herself down too and for a second Erin's heart stopped beating. Her eyes. She had the same ocean clear blue eyes like her father. Just as beautiful, even though she had been crying.

"Hey … is this your Mister Hippo?" Erin asked the blond and pointing at the stuffed animal in her hand. She nodded. "Yeah." She smiled, grabbed the animal with her other hand and turned it around so Erin could see his face. "Mister Hippo keeps me safe." Lindsay watched the rhino carefully and smiled back at the girl. "You like him, don't you?" The girl nodded again, smiling embarrassed before she turned around to her father who smiled at Erin softly because she had an amazing way with children. An amazing way with his daughter.

Then Jay broke the glance with clearing his throat and looking to his daughter. "You have to introduce yourself." mumbled Halstead before his daughter faced Erin again and told her who she was.

"I am Elora and this is Mister Hippo." She told the detective again and watched her with a proud smile.

Jay smirked. Just as sweet this situation was, Elora needed to see a doctor. While both girls talked to each other Jay grabbed Elora's jacket and helped her to got in. "We ware going for a ride." informed Elora her father's friend who he zipped up her jacket and after that she pulled her rhino against her little chest. "With Mister Hippo." Her eyes glinted like the stars every time she talked about his stuffed animal. Lindsay had a big smile on her face as she got back on her feet.

While Elora played with her friend, Jay and Erin put on their own jackets without taking the gaze from each other. He wanted to kiss her. Right now he wanted to pull his hand into her hair and kiss her soft lips. He wanted to thank her because she didn't freak out or was angry with him because he didn't tell her. He wanted to thank her because she was a really good partner. And a really good friend.

As Halstead wanted to grab after his keys he wasn't fast enough because they just dangled around Erin's index finger. On her face a huge, teasing smile.

"I'll dirve."

Jay blinked. "What?"

"I'll drive." Erin repeated herself. But Jay shook his head. "No, no you are going home. You need to go to bed. It's late enough. And I don't know how long it will takes, so-"

"- so I am driving." She insisted. She couldn't let him alone with his sick daughter. Even when she made a health impression right now just like how she was playing with Mister Hippo.

"You don't have to do this Lindsay." Jay mumbled and he wasn't sure if he should take her offer or if he should refuse it.

"I know … but I want to. Plus, with your driving style she will only get sicker." The woman grinned playfully and a few moments later the three of them were leaving the Halstead apartment.


	3. The waiting

A/N: So, here comes the next chapter :) You will learn a little bit about the mother and I hope you'll like it ^^" Thank you Zoe for your help :-*

**The waiting**

Jay groaned as he looked at his watch. They had been waiting for over one hour to see a doctor and there was only an old woman with them in the waiting room. Jay rubbed his forehead. He looked at his daughter who was playing with Mister Hippo and some other toys right in the middle of the room. He exchanged a small glance with Erin as he got up to go to the nurses station.

"Uhm, excuse me.", he started as a young blonde looked up. "Yeah?", she smiled friendly but Jay could see by the look in her eyes that she was in a hurry. I'm here with my daughter. She's only four, she has a fever and her stomach hurts. We've been waiting for an hour now, do you know when we will be able to see a doctor?" Even though Jay was exploding mentally, he made sure he was nice to the young woman. It wasn't her fault that they were still waiting, but her answer didn't make him happy.

"I'm sorry, but three emergencies came in, so I think it may still be a while. I am sorry …but if you want I can search for a resident?", the nurse offered him but Jay shook his head. He didn't trust the newbie. He wanted to see a real doctor, no rookie! He turned around to look at his daughter. She was still playing and it didn't seem like she was in any kind of pain. Jay turned around and sighed. "No, no thank you. We will wait."

The man rubbed his eyes and sat back down next to his partner. He kept his eyes on his daughter as he told Erin that she should go home.

"What?"

"You should go home Erin. It will take a while … there are three ERs right now. You should go home and sleep. It's enough that I'm going to have a sleepless night." Jay told his partner, who shook her head.

"No Jay, I'll stay."

Jay turned his head around. "Look Erin, it's totally fine if you want to go -"

"No!" Erin cut him off immediately and looked into his blue eyes. Her heart beat faster and a small smile tugged at her lips. "I want to stay. Besides, someone has to take you both home and I don't want Elora to get sicker than she already is because of your driving.", she smirked and punched Halstead's shoulder softly. The man managed a small laugh. "I'm not as half as bad as you always say.", his eyes twinkled and they gazed at each other for a few seconds. A few seconds where Jay's heart beat loudly, both just smiling and everything was perfectly fine.

But after a few seconds Jay broke the glance because he could feel his mind spinning as he got lost in her hazel eyes. He looked at his daughter, trying to get his heart beat under control.

Erin melt into his glance as they looked at each other. She was lost completely and she wished that she could feel his lips again on her own. That his hand would run over her body, that there were only him and her. But it wasn't. He had a daughter. An adorable one, that was out of question … but it made everything more complicated. More than it already was because of Voight. Erin sighed soundless as Jay broke the glance and followed his glance to his daughter.

"So … you have a daughter." Erin mumbled and saw how Jay nodded.

"Yeah … Elora Amber Halstead." He smiled at his little girl while she was playing with Mister Hippo and some building blocks. She was his everything. He would do everything for her, even if it meant that he'd always have to step back for the rest of his life. But he would be fine with that because with one smile she could cheer him up and make the world stop for a few seconds. Just like the woman right next to him.

Jay knew that his answer raised more questions than it answered. He licked his lips. "She's four years old. A long time ago I met a girl … we started to go out and having a thing. It wasn't even really love … we were only attracted to each other. We broke up one day and I did my second tour in Afghanistan. I didn't know that she was pregnant." The words came out of his mouth without looking at the brunette besides him. He just stared at his daughter. How her small hands grabbed around her soft toy and how she talked to him.

Erin wanted to know more. She wanted to ask Halstead so much more about Elora and her mother. But for a few seconds she just watched him watching his daughter. Watching as every inch of his face softened, his expression one that Erin had never seen before. Erin felt herself melting into him like a snowflake. But she quickly pulled herself together.

"Does Voight know?" She asked him carefully, sure that she already knew the answer. Why hadn't Jay told Voight? Why was he hiding her?

"No.", Jay mumbled and he knew that Erin would ask him, why he didn't tell Voight. Why he seemed so afraid of telling everyone about his daughter, when she was his everything?

"Why?" asked Erin because she couldn't understand. But she wanted to, so she asked her partner. He didn't have to tell her everything, but he should at least give her a reason why he hadn't mentioned about Elora to one of them in the first place.

Jay sighed. He knew that he owed her a explanation why he hadn't told Voight, but he felt so stupid as he told her: "Because … I don't know. Look, Elora has been living with me for the last two years … I think … I think that I was scared he wouldn't let me join the unit if he knew."

"And what about her mother?" Erin frowned, looking confused. His words reverberated in her head. The number of questions grew with every second they were talked about his daughter.

Again Jay sighed, rubbing his neck. He knew he had to tell her.

"She went away. Elora lived with her for two years then two years ago Elora was here. I didn't know about her at all … and she didn't know me. It was like Amber left outside my front door and then just left. Left her own daughter alone." Jay could feel himself getting angry as he talked about his ex. It wasn't the whole story, but he couldn't tell her more without lying. He didn't want to make Erin feel uncomfortable because of what had really happened. The most important thing was that she now knew that Elora was left by her own mother and that she had been living with him for the last two years. He knew that Erin wanted to know more. He knew that she probably already knew that it was more complicated the he let on. He was just happy that she had accepted the answer he had given her.

Instead of continuing to ask questions Lindsay went back to watching the small blonde.

"She is really beautiful." Erin smiled and in her mind the ocean blue eyes showed up. Elora had the same hypnotic eyes as her father. They were also filled with sparkle and warm glow. They were something Erin could get herself lost into every time she was looking into it.

The father nodded smiling. "Yes she really is." He loved her. He was still blaming himself for not being there for her in her first two years of life, even when he knew that it wasn't his fault. He would never want to miss out on her life ever again … but also she was the reason why he never made a real move on Erin … until tonight.

After a few seconds of silence Elora started to cry and came over to them, tears shining in her blue eyes and crawled on her daddys lap. "Hey sweetheart." Jay said softly as Elora pulled her arms around his neck, pressing her face into his chest. She cried, that her stomach was getting worse and that she wanted to go home. Jay hugged her gently. He rubbed her back carefully and whispered in her ear. Trying to take away the pain, even when he knew that he couldn't.

Erin watched the scene with a broken heart. It broke her heart how Jay cared about his daughter and how much pain she was in. "Seriously, are they out of doctors?", she hissed and was about stand up to search for a doctor herself when the young nurse from the station entered the waiting room and asked them to follow her.

Both adults exchanged a short look before Erin grabbed Mister Hippo from the floor. Jay still holding his daughter as they followed the nurse to a consulting room. A few moments later a doctor came in and looked at the four year old who had stopped crying, but hadn't let go of her fathers neck. The man nodded and mumbled something. Then he looked into her throat and took her temperature.

He wrote something down before he glanced up at Jay and Erin, who he believed to be the mother. "Well, your daughter has scarlet fever. It's nothing life-threatening, not when you catch it early enough. I will prescribe you some antibiotics and give her a injection against her fever right now. You might be infected, so I'll have to take throat swab just to make sure."

As silent as they could Erin and Jay entered his apartment nearly forty minutes later. Elora asleep in her fathers arms. After the doctor took a throat swab from both adults; both were clean, Elora got her injection, not without screaming blue murder at the size of the needle and the sting of it entering her arm. On the way back home she fell asleep.

Halstead laid his daughter carefully in her bed. He would have loved to put her in his own bed, so he would be right there for here if something was wrong, but he wasn't allowed to. Not for the next 24 hours. The doctor has said that 24 hours after she had taken the first antibiotic, she wouldn't be infectious anymore. So he had to wait. Erin and he weren't infected, but Halstead had to be careful the next few days. He would stay home for the next two or three days until Elora was doing better … but this meant that he had to tell Voight for good. Jay covered his daughter, placed her soft toy right next to her and glanced at her for a few seconds before he turned around, leaving the bedroom, closing the door as quietly as possible. He breathed in and out, rubbed his eyes, turning towards Erin who stood in the hallway, arms crossed across her chest, a small smile on her lips.

They walked to Halsteads apartment door in a comfortable silent. Jay leant against the door frame as he thanked his partner for being there for him. His smile was tired but genuine. It was 2.30 AM and he had barely slept the night before. Erin looked up at the man, nodding. "Anytime." She pulled Jay into a short hug, kissing his cheek before she smiled, looking into his eyes. "You have to tell them."

Jay rubbing his eyes tiredly. "Yeah", he sighed, "I will. I'll pass by the station and talk to Hank tomorrow morning." Then they kept looking at each other, feeling how they wanted each other, but neither of them made a move. Erin broke the glance apart. A second longer and she would've kissed him … she wanted to feel his lips on hers so badly, but it wouldn't be the right thing. So Erin managed to look away from his eyes. "So, I'll see you later.", she smirked and after they said goodbye to each other she went off.

Went down the stairway, away from the man she thought she knew so well. Down the stairs she came up a few hours ago just to find out that Halstead wasn't the person she thought he was! Not even at all!

I've already have a few ideas for the future, but I don't know exactly how I should continue right now ^^ Of course the next one will be about Halstead telling Voight the truth, but what then? Do you have any ideas? Otherwise I think that I will making a small time jump ^^


	4. Careless, selfish and stupid

Hello guys

thank you for your reviews/favoring the story. It means a lot to me, really. Here comes my 4. chapter. I hope you'll like it … Jay telling Voight about his daughter and well, Hank is not amused! Have fun and don't forget to review :P Maybe you can tell me what you would like to read in this story. The next two chapters I have already in my mind.

Thank you to my beta Zoe for your help.

See you guys.

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

**Careless, selfish and stupid**

Jay didn't sleep well that night. Not because of Elora, no she slept soundly through the night. He was awake because all he could think about was what happened before they had to go to hospital. Jay's stomach twisted. He could still feel Erin's lips on his, still smell her perfume and taste her lipstick. God, he was dying to kiss her again. He wanted to lay next to her every night and every morning. She drove him crazy. But he knew it wasn't that easy. Of course Erin knew about Elora now, but in Jay's eyes it didn't really change anything. He was still a father. They were still partners. She was still Voight's daughter or something like that.

Also he couldn't stop thinking about what he was going to do in the morning. He wanted to stop by the district and tell Voight the truth, that he had a daughter and needed a couple of days off while she got better. He had to tell him. He had no choice. He should have done it a long time ago but hadn't been brave enough. He was scared of being kicked out of the unit or not even being allowed to join in the first place. But Jay knew how dumb he'd been. He should have known he couldn't hide his daughter and Erin was right they had to know about her.

It was nearly ten o'clock and Jay still hadn't shown up. Erin glanced between the clock and the stairs nervously. Why hadn't he shown up? Had he changed his mind? Or had Elora deteriorated in the night?

"Does anybody know if there is something wrong with Halstead?" Voight asked his team, standing in the door of his office to see if Jay had arrived yet. Everyone shook their heads, Erin glancing at the stairs once again. It wasn't like Halstead to not show up at work without a message. They were all a little bit worried about him and just as Erin had lifted her phone to ring him, he ran up the stairs. She sighed in relief but his facial expression made her nervous. He looked worried. Maybe something had really happened to Elora?

Halstead was more nervous than he had ever been in his life. He had spent thirty minutes sat in the car, envisioning different scenarios of Voight's reaction when he told him. His heartbeat sped up, palms growing sweaty.

"Halstead." Voight greeted, ready to reprimand him for being late but he noticed that something was wrong with his detective.

Jay exchanged a short look with Erin, before he turned to his boss. "I need a few days off."

The man frowned. "What?"

"I need a few days off please" Jay repeated himself, feeling the gazes of his coworkers turn to him.

Hank blinked, crossing his arms over his chest as he raised an eyebrow.

"You really think that you can come in late and have the nerve to ask me for a few days off?"

Jay sighed. "Please Voight. I...I really need them." He begged.

Everybody looked at him. He didn't know why but Jay found himself afraid to talk to his boss about Elora. He knew that he couldn't change anything and that he had to tell Hank about her but it still scared him.

"Why?" Hank asked the younger man, following him in surprise as he passed by him, letting himself into Hank's office. Jay wanted to tell Voight first before everyone else that he was a father. He knew that Hank's wrath would be worse if he found out from someone else.

The sergeant closed the door behind him, looking at Jay in anticipation. It had to be big if Jay was making such an effort to keep it to himself.

Jay sighed quietly. He could feel his nervousness growing, his palms getting sweatier by the second. The man licked his lips before he spoke. "I need a few days off because," He took a breath, "Because my four year old daughter is ill."

Voight blinked. He hadn't expected to hear that from his detective. Had Halstead really just said that he had a daughter? No he had to have heard him wrong. If Jay had a daughter he would know about her. He had made Jin had checked every aspect of Halstead's background when he joined the unit.

"Excuse me?"

Jay pressed his lips together, clearing his throat as he tried to avoid Voight's piercing stare.

"I need a couple of days off because my daughter has Scarlet Fever and I'm have no one else to look after her. I just need to time off until she's less contagious and the babysitter can look after her again." Halstead explained, the fact that Voight didn't move, didn't even blink made Jay all that more nervous.

Hank glanced at Halstead carefully. So his detective wanted to take a few days off because he had an ill daughter at home? A daughter, he had heard right. Voight nodded his head slowly.

"So just so I'm absolutely sure, you want to take a couple of days off..."

"Three, four max." Jay interrupted but Hank ignored him.

"...because you have a daughter who's ill?"

Jay nodded.

"Since when?" Voight asked and Jay knew that he wasn't asking how long she'd been ill. Hank wanted to know how long Jay had been hiding the fact that he had a daughter. He'd never heard Jay mention her, hell he didn't even know that Jay had a girlfriend.

"She's four years old but she's been in my custody since for the last two years. Her mom left her on my doorstep...I didn't know anything about her until I found her that day." Jay's heart pounded hard in his chest. He had told him. He'd told Voight that he had a daughter. It was out now in the open and even if he wanted to take it back he couldn't. It hadn't been as hard as he thought it was, even though he knew the consequences of hiding it were still to come.

He thought Voight had taken it well but the he noticed Hank's facial expression hardening. "When were you going to tell me about her?"

Halstead's heart sank. He knew that it would be too good to be true that Hank had just accepted it and was just going to let him go home to her. Jay shrugged slowly. "I honestly don't know"

"You don't know" Voight repeated him, voice growing louder. He couldn't believe Halstead could sit there and tell him he had a daughter and expect him to just accept it.

"Have you ever thought about what would happen if you got hurt during an operation? Or worse? Don't you understand how careless, selfish and stupid you've been by not telling me? If I knew that you were a father Halstead..."

"Then you wouldn't let me join the unit. Not after what happened to Jules."Jay cut his boss off and even when he knew Hank was right, he had been to scared of being rejected from the unit if he had told Voight. And being part of Intelligence was something Jay had wanted for a long time, had spent his career working towards.

"You're damn right Halstead!" Voight yelled, "Or at least I wouldn't let you put yourself in all those dangerous situations during undercover operations because I knew there was a little girl depending on you to come home. You should have told me Halstead. I've told you not to go over my head." Voight said harshly.

"I didn't. Well not exactly." Jay yelled back.

"Sure you did son! You never thought what would happen to her if anything had happened to you. If you'd died, did you?" You- dead and none of us knowing that you had a daughter who needed taking care of."

"You wouldn't have to." Jay said, which just made Hank more angry.

"Of course we would have Jay. You are a part of this unit. A part of this family and so is she. Of course we would have taken care of her if something ever happened to you!" Voight shouted. He never thought Jay could be so egotistical. That he would hide something like this from both him and this unit.

Jay swallowed, staring at his boss' angry face. They just stared at each other waiting for the other to speak.

"I'm sorry." Halstead started, "You're right. I...I should have told you about Elora in the first place and I know that my reasons for not telling you are beyond stupid. But I've told you now and...I'll be completely honest with you from now on, I promise. But now, I really need a few days off to take care of her because like I said before, I'm the only family she's got."

Voight ran a hand through his hair. He watched Halstead carefully and nodded. "I get it. Take as many days as you need."

"Thank you." Jay was about to leave the office when Voight called him back, using his first name. Something he rarely did until today.

"But Jay, you should tell the others. You aren't alone in this and if you need help, we're here for you." Hank told his detective who nodded thankfully. "I will...but I don't think today's the right time. I don't want to drop it on them and then disappear for a few days." Jay explained, honestly up sure of how to tell his colleagues about Elora. He had told Voight because she was ill and he was left with no other choice and Erin had found by accident. But what about the others?

Jay and Hank exchanged one last look before they both left the office, Jay throwing Erin a small smile as he left. Voight watched the younger man leave before he clapped his hands to gain the teams attention.

"So listen up guys. Halstead's taking a few personal days, which means we're one man down."

"Personal days?" Ruzek asked, frowning. "What does that mean?"

"That he's got something to take care of that's none of your business." Erin hissed, glaring at her coworker.

"Thank you Lindsay, I never thought about that." Adam replied sarcastically but before Erin could retort, Voight reprimanded them.

There was a ring at the door. Jay stood in the kitchen making dinner, listening as Elora's feet pounded against the floor as she ran to answer it. "Don't open the door honey." He yelled, turning the stove down before hurrying after his daughter. He found her at the door, fingers already on the doorknob. "Elora." Jay hissed but it was too late. His daughter had already opened the door to reveal a shocked Antonio Dawson stood on their doorstep.

"Ummm.." Dawson started, never expecting a little girl to open the door to him. He glanced from the little blonde girl to his colleague who looked as shocked as he was.

Jay's heart sank. Of course it would be one of his colleagues on the other side of the door. Of course Elora would open the door, throwing him into a situation that he wasn't prepared for.

Antonio cleared his throat, trying to put his thoughts straight. "Hey Halstead. I...I was wondering if you needed to talk. You seemed pretty worried this morning and ummm..." Dawson's eyes flew back to the little girl in front of him who just happened to have the same eyes as Jay. He forgot what he had come here to talk to Halstead about. He was in complete shock.

Halstead sighed, frustrated. He knew this day would come but he hadn't expected it to come this quickly.

"Thank you." Jay said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Antonio, umm, would you like to come in."

Elora nodded. "Daddy's making us spaghetti." She squealed, clapping her hands.

Dawson shook his head. "Oh no, no...I...I don't want to disturb you. I..."

"Tony come in and have some dinner with us," Jay insisted, because he knew that Antonio wanted to know what he had just stumbled across. That he had a hundred questions just like Erin had the other night. After a short hesitation Antonio stepped into the apartment, letting the small girl pull him by the hand down the hallway. Knowing that he would leave the apartment with a different picture of the man he brought into intelligence.


End file.
